Saturday, November 5, 2011

So people are not going to church... what's new about that????

A new... and another survey.... I am hesitant to point out this one... it regards Roman Catholics... but there is something here worth our attention... So let me quote a couple of paragraphs...

A new survey paints a picture of a less-strict American Catholic
community, with 86% of respondents stating they believe a Catholic "can
disagree with aspects of church teachings and still remain loyal to the
church."Among the most devout, older Catholics, Mass attendance has fallen
from 64% in 1999 to just over 50% in 2011, according to a new survey of
American Catholics.

And as those older Catholics die, they are replaced by a millennial
generation that questions some of the church's social beliefs and attend
church less often than older worshipers.

"Catholics in the past 25 years have
become more autonomous when making decisions about important moral
issues; less reliant on official teaching in reaching those decisions;
and less deferential to the authority of the Vatican and individual
bishops," stated the report's introduction.

and again"Everyone is a cafeteria Catholic [or Lutheran or whatever] - so what," said D'Antonio. "I would
consider a cultural Catholic as someone who never goes to Mass, but they
still identity with the religion. That isn't the majority."

and, what I believe is the most important paragraph, and one that certainly relates to us as Lutheran Christians:

"What concerns me is that the church structure is much weaker than when I
was young," D'Antonio said. "We do not have a parish structure that is
able bring these people fully into the church. It is a different church
from the 1930s to 60s."

The greater cause for concern is that most parish structures are weaker than they were a few generations ago. The boundaries have been redrawn and are not so easy to see. The life of the parish is often focused around other things than our life together around the Word and Table of the Lord. The mechanisms that could draw people back are weaker or not in place at all -- both due to weaker and less formal parish structures and the changing demands upon pastoral leadership ANDdue to the mobility of our people and their distance also from the natural family structures (or the lack of these structures) in their lives.

Faith has become more private and more personal and more individual for all stripes of Christians. Congregational connections have grown distant or been non-existent for too many Christians (Lutherans included). It is not simply that people are leaving but that the means to draw them back is not effectively in place. Changing to a contemporary worship program will not solve the revolving door relationship too many Christians (Lutherans included) have with the congregation. People come and go and get lost in the middle of it all and without strong family, community, and parish structures in place to draw them back, they are more likely to remain outside or on the fringes. This, in my mind, represents the more unique challenges to a Pastor and a parish in this age and at this time....

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

In the past 30 years we have seen acontinued erosion of Christianbeliefs. There is now an emphasis ongeneric spirituality in contemporaryculture. As a result people no longerrely on the one true God nor do theyworship Him.

This Self-Help way of living hasmade God irrelevant and penetratedthe mindset of Christians. Our culture is in the post-Christian era.

What I see being hinted at is that the new Christians will be predominately Mexican, Chinese and African. European and ethnic Europeans will fade into the background of self-idolatry. Current churches who have European background sustaining members don't particularly seek out those demographics to proselytize.

I guess we need to decide to accept who God is calling to Himself no matter their skin color or language. Perhaps programs directed towards those who are more apt to listen and accept the message of the gospel would be the answer.

Those of us who are white need to get off our high horse of entitlement and superiority and realize God is working in those we might otherwise consider "not worth bothering with" due to low socio-economic status.

I always keep in my mind a good friend who was a Ukrainian immigrant. She was a math professor in the Ukraine, but came here with no English skills and worked her way back through the American University system to re-earn her doctorate in Math. We worked together for quite a few years and I remember the pitiful, degrading way she was treated because she was foreign.

The take away is that those looked down upon immigrants are quite frequently amazing people. Just take the time to know them.

"Those of us who are white need to get off our high horse of entitlement and superiority"

Speaking for yourself?

This is really a terrible thing to say considering how much effort is given to the work you say is neglected. God builds his church.

If anything, it is our own children who are most neglected. They live in our own homes and many are sent to anti Christian public schools and school activities are prioritized over and above all other family activities including church activities and Bible study. Voddie Baucham asks parents whether their goal for their children is Harvard or Heaven. It is a good question. If we can't even influence our own children in our own homes, do we really think that we will be awesome at attracting folks from other cultures whom we understand less and have much less contact with?

As a teen and college student, I was always bothered by those who knew nothing about their church's core beliefs, doctrine, history, etc. The most common phrase I remember hearing was "We're so diverse" or "We've got great music."

In this post-Christian society, I do wonder whether the LCMS will share the fate of the Eastern Orthodox in the Muslim world. In the USA, churches are pressured to convert to a liberal or mushy non-denominational theology. Those churches that do not change the theology find themselves increasingly isolated and subject to ridicule and persecution.

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This is the Means of Grace Window that is above the altar of Grace Lutheran Church where I serve. It reminds us of the keys (confession and absolution), the wheat(the bread which is the Body of Christ), the cup (which is His Blood), the Word (Scripture), and the Pastoral Office (the red stole). In this one wonderful window we see the treasures of the Church in the Word and Sacraments and I love that it is available for all to see. I realize that this image has been stolen all over the internet but it is a real window, a copyrighted image, belonging to Grace Lutheran Church, Clarksville, Tennessee, which has kindly allowed my use of it...

About Me

I have been a Lutheran Pastor for 33 years, serving in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and the Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville, TN, midway through my 21st year here. I have a lot of thoughts (obviously not all of equal weight or importance) and this place is where you meet some of those meandering thoughts from this pastoral mind.

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I spend a few minutes a few times a week checking out several different blogs. Some are on-line forums and others are the musings of friends, who, like me, are Lutheran Pastors. Since so many spend so much time in front of their computer, I am sharing a few thoughts in this medium. So join the conversation and see what pops up.